Satellite phone consumers are initially being offered a way to get encrypted mobile calls no need to buy costly satellite-only devices.
By using sat phone you are secure knowing that you have a dependable and accessible handset that you you may use in case of emergency
The new capability comes from VoIP call encryption company Cellcrypt, that upgraded its regular client software for Blackberry and Nokia S60 smartphones so they have the ability to make calls through Immarsat's range of BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) tools.
Called Cellcrypt Mobile for Satellite, the connection to the BGAN is crafted from Wi-Fi, but however the service is said to take absolutely no specific setup for the Immarsat service. As with Cellcrypt's GSM encryption, the only requirement for a secure call is to possess the same software running on the receiving handset, though unencrypted calls can be made to any receiver.
According to Cellcrypt's CEO, Simon Bransfield-Garth, the recent market for fully secure satellite calls has so far been skimpy, usually users in the military and also government.
The business had to take into account that satellite calls were subject to highly latency as coverages moved to and from satellites, which could reach several seconds in some cases. Bandwidth was also restricted. The company estimates performance as around one second delay using a single handset and BGAN, or 2 seconds to call a second mobile phone also linked to a satellite terminal.
The primary benefit for the sorts of dedicated industry users who will likely be attracted to the service was merely the accessibility of being able to make satellite calls with the use of the same phone they used to make some other call, said Bransfield-Garth.